A major cause of acquired hearing loss is loud noise. Exposure to harmful noise levels is common in the workplace. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health estimates that about 30 million workers in the United States encounter hazardous levels of noise. (Franks et al. (1996) Preventing Occupational Hearing Loss—A Practical Guide, DHHA (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-110, p. 1). These levels are encountered in, for example, construction, mining, agriculture, manufacturing and utilities, transportation, and in the military. The incidence of noise associated hearing loss continues to increase in spite of efforts to regulate job related noise exposure, and to improve the use of hearing protective devices such as ear muffs and ear plugs.
Another cause of hearing loss is exposure to ototoxic drugs such as cisplatin and aminoglycoside antibiotics. Accordingly, there is a need for methods and compositions to prevent or treat hearing loss.